And God Showed Up….

A couple of ladies standing at the window opening trying to get just the right picture. It is a dangerous slick rock. They seem ignorant to the possibility of death. It makes me nervous to see their lack of caution. I’m thinking they have no thought of how their actions will impact others. Suppose one is on the brink of falling over the side. I will be obligated to put my life in danger to risk saving their lives. What right do they have risking my life? The ladies leave.

The rock is smooth. The path narrow. But regardless of risk or danger there is but one way. There are small pockets of water in the cracks in the rock on the path. For nourishment. Just like David said, ‘I love your Word. I will follow your law. I will walk your path. But God, show me the way.

Along the path are flowers, but also thorns. There are steps, seats and shade trees. The hikers keep coming. My heart is anxious for hikers at the window.

A father and young son approach the window. The father says, ‘No’. Aaron says, ‘I can get closer. I really want to’. The father lets him. I’m thinking why is the father ok with the risk? Has he not counted the cost? The whole family is ok with the child reaching out farther. People are laughing. Enjoying the view. Where is the caution? My stomach is sick with concern for the welfare of these people. Father, bring them out of harm’s way. Even without their knowing participation, Lord bring them out of harm’s way.

God, why would you allow me to take risks my entire life? Father, when I stepped out on the slippery slope where death was certain unless you intervened, why did you let me step out? Why not just stop me from taking the risk? Why not allow me to live a cautious life? And God says, ‘Wasn’t I always there?’ Yes, God. You were there.

Father, I know the pain from failure. The pain has changed my life. I feel fear for others who are on the slippery slope. I wonder if I am willing to risk anymore? I wonder if it is a good thing or bad to want to avoid risk?

A squirrel visited us at the window. It wasn’t very hot for a day in the desert, but the squirrel always went back to the shade. The Sparrow said, ‘Why take any more heat than is needed?’ Profound, as it relates to my risk aversion springing from the pain I’ve suffered from failing.

Possibly, God only wants one to risk enough in the sun to achieve His will and purpose? Then, it’s back to the shade for protection and replenishment. Might it be impossible to experience God’s abundance on one’s life without risk?

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.” James

Day Three – The Window Trail

We hiked the Window Trail on the third day of our hike. There was a special significance to this hike, because one of our EPIC Life Group members had previously made this hike a few years back. She was carrying the ashes of her loving husband. She would make it to the trail end and scatter his ashes at ‘The Window’. We wanted to pray blessings on our EPIC family member while here.

The Window is an absolutely beautiful area of Big Bend. The trail is hot and rocky, but the astounding view awaiting the hiker is breathtaking in many ways. It stuns you as you approach the window to see the sky directly in front of you. There is nothing between you and the ground below. It is just a vast openness of blue sky and a feeling of expectancy.

The rocks become slippery and uncharacteristically smooth as you get closer to the edge. Water from many years of flash floods have worn the floor and lower sides smooth. The window draws you to come closer. Just a little closer. That’s it. Just a little closer. As you gather your wits, you quickly realize if you are not careful you are about to come to a terrifying end.

The window was a destination for Spiritual contemplation. I was anxious to see and hear from God. The previous day’s beauty had authenticated God’s existence historically. I wanted disparately to see God at the window. It seemed somehow appropriate and reasonable that God might visit in a tangible way. They say the eye is the window to the soul.

Pastor Mike Sharrow led Uly, I and a squirrel in a communion of power bar and green tea. We chatted about what communion meant to each of us. How Jesus had chosen in His own free will to die specifically for each of us and the entire world. There was a remembrance of the incredible pain Jesus must have felt in total body, soul and spirit. He took it all on for us. Incredible.

God met me at ‘The Window’. Read the ‘And God Showed Up’ post and I think you will agree. It is straight from my heart. Maybe it will hit your heart as well…..

Big Bend pictures. Enjoy!

Big Bend pictures through Mike’s lens

Day Two – To the Top Emory Peak

We made it to the top of Emory Peak. It was a long tiring adventure, but well worth the effort. It may be the tallest peak in Texas. It certainly felt like it. We had time for Bible reading, prayer and just a feeling of closeness to the Father. Thank you friends and family for your support in prayers.

We climbed Emory Peak because that’s what you do. You see something bigger than you and you have to climb it. It’s been that way forever. I heard last week that there was a record set of 75 climbers that made it to the top of Mount Everest in a single day. Emory was our Everest for the day.

Mixed into our desire for conquering a mountain, was a desire to meet God there. The trek was tough up the mountain. I quickly realized at 54 years, I didn’t have the stamina I once had. Mike and Uly took the lead and we headed on up. Some are short distance sprinters. Some are long distance mules. I quickly figured out I am now a short distance mule. Mike and Uly was gracious to let me bring up the rear as we charged up the mountain.

We made it to the top! The view was incredible! It’s on this mountain top I hoped to see and hear from God in a very way. The magnificent creation of God screamed of the reality of Christ. Everywhere you turn, the rocks cry out, “I am”. It was in this setting, I sat down with pen, paper and Bible. I began writing in my journal with a new pen. I didn’t finish my first sentence and the pen quit writing. I was a bit frustrated. I had really looked forward to journaling.

I leaned back and the thought came to me. Be still and know that I am God. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with that, so I leaned back and took a nap.

Pictures

Day One – Boquillas Canyon

Thanks for following the Three Amigos to Big Bend country. We are in the basin of the Chisos Mountains writing in the dark looking out over God’s incredible handiwork. We are looking toward Emory Peak where we will be hiking tomorrow (Tuesday). So if you are in the area, stop on by and make the climb to 7,800 ft. I expect the view will be incredible and God will meet us there.

Sometimes you have to get away from the blindness of the ordinary in your life to regain perspective on how extraordinary creation is. God is…well…God.

He is the “I AM,” and there’s not much to be said beyond that. He is big, He is infinitely creative and He is choosing to meet us if we seek Him. How exciting is that! The rocks cry out His praises, so we can only hope to meet them in their choral. What is our agenda? To find a better glimpse of God’s agenda. That will be a success. Today was a great perspective setting day to prepare the stage for God to meet us as He wills this week.

Enjoy the pictures at the bottom of this post. God is everywhere. The land is so incredibly harsh and yet so beautiful. The contrasts are dramatic compared to anywhere else in the world and yet even within the Big Bend country there exist a limitless variety and contrast in an of itself.

Trail pictures….

Upcoming Big Bend Spiritual Retreat

I am excited to share with my friends and family an upcoming trip to Big Bend National Park. I plan on journaling my 4 day adventure in this blog site. I hope to use an AT&T air card to post each days adventure. I plan on having plenty of pictures and adventure.

I am a little anxious, because I have hiked Big Bend a number of times. Every time I have gone to Big Bend God has met me there. I expect to meet Him there this time as well. The anxious moment comes from having been lost there and in a previous life threatening situation. I plan on blogging that adventure as well, as best I remember.

‘The Three Amigos’ will leave San Antonio, Monday morning at day break and the adventure will begin. Keep watch at this site to track our adventure and ‘God Spots’. I am confident you will not be disappointed.

Pray for us and encourage God’s presence in our and your lives.

Archie

God Does His Own Thing or Does He?

Suppose you were David and you stepped up to the plate to fight Goliath. What do you see? Do you see a Giant and his friends as adversaries that could each individually kill you or do you see a mean ugly dude that is going down? Really. Think about it. What did David see? What would you see?

Just for a minute, forget what you have been taught and just think. Did David feel fear? Did he say in his mind, I am going to die if God doesn’t do something? Did he fast and pray before he ran down the slope to face certain death? Or did he run down the slope to fast certain victory? Think about it.

Supposing God spoke to David’s heart and said, “Go whack Goliath in the head with a rock and take a few more stones for his brothers”. Did David question if he had enough faith to accomplish this task? Did David even know anything about faith?

Sorry. All those questions were to just get to the real question that has been bothering me. Did David believe he was going to whack Goliath even though he could see the reality of the impossibility of the task? The question again: Did David believe?

This bothers me and I don’t really know why. Does God perform based on our beliefs? Sure God can do whatever He wants to, whenever He wants to. But, do our beliefs influence God’s decision to perform one way or the other?

Suppose I am walking down the street and a guy asks me to help him change his tire. I walk up the alley to assist him with his car and am surrounded by a group of thugs. They are going to beat me within an inch of my life. I can see I am going to die. I can choose to believe that God is going to save me. I can choose to believe I am going to die. Or, I can choose nothing at all. Will any of my choices built within my belief system influence God’s grace on my life and being saved from these thugs?

This is more than just a musing. I am looking for an answer…….

The Story of Life

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God. The Father (to be) looked around and saw the vast emptiness of the universe he had for a backyard. He played amongst the galaxies and was lonely. He liked the game of speaking and arriving before His Words. There was nothing He couldn’t do even beyond His youthful playfulness.

Then, He spoke the Words of Life into existence. On a lark, He spoke the heavens and earth into existence even before His 1st cup of coffee. He created dry land and blue skies before He stopped for lunch and by evening He had made a friend.

It was after all, what life was all about. He just wanted to be loved. He created a man in His image so he could play, laugh, roll-a-round, run and talk with someone just like Him. He wanted to share the universe with this man.

But upon wakening, He saw the man was lonely and knew the universe was not enough. The man needed a friend, a companion with skin. It saddened him a bit, but with joy beyond description He created woman. A fitting beautiful creation for His friend man.

He loved spending time with the couple. It was beautiful in the garden.

Until one day, the clouds darkened over mankind. Life would never be the same…….

God is good. Man is bad.

God is so good. Man is so bad. How can that be? God created man. Man created bad. God created man in His image. Man in his sinfulness created bad. How could man in God’s image create this monster called bad?

Man’s nature is good. It is in God’s image and in His image man created bad. I don’t get it. Is man so stupid as to create a monster capable of killing the image of God? Why would man be self destructive? There has to be a third party of negative influence to facilitate this tragedy on man kind.

Something so evil, man can not even imagine its destructive power or intent. Without God, there is no hope for tomorrow!

Amen

The Way of the Cross Leads Home

In the delirium of illness, I believe God put this thought in my mind. The Way of the Cross Leads Home. There was tugging on both sides of me trying to keep me from the way of the cross. The tugging was there with powerful intent from the evil tugging on me, but I kept true to the path. It was as if even with the tugging, my way was not distracted or slowed.

This is the way of the cross. Set your sights on the cross. Acknowledge the world is lost and will tug at you to slow your journey or distract you from the quest. But, believe God walks with you and keep your eyes on the cross. Jesus paid an incredible price for the opportunity for you to focus on the cross in all adversity and travel a path of victory.

What does that mean, “Keep your eyes on the cross?” Fear God. Appreciate that Jesus died an excruciating death on the cross so you wouldn’t have to. Fear God. If you neglect the truth of the cross in your life, Fear God. You will eventually know the truth either in this life on earth or your life eternal elsewhere. Fear God.

God Supplies Needs. This is Huge!

This is huge. I experienced God’s love on me today. I knew it was God allowing me to appreciate the fact that He supplied all my needs. It was like evil had a gun to my head and I knew it could pull the trigger. It obviously had not pulled the trigger, but it seemingly had the power to pull the trigger.

It was incredible when God allowed the head knowledge to make it to my heart. I could feel the “God provided peace” of knowing with God there is no threat. The outcome is God’s choice and God had supplied all my needs for the day. I didn’t have a need to worry about tomorrow, because God’s promise was to provide for my needs today.

Tomorrow will be a new day where God will provide for all my needs on that day. Tomorrow might never come on this earth. It is futility to worry about it. I am to enjoy the fact that He provided for all my needs today and expect He will provide for tomorrow.

Then, I realized He actually exceeded my needs because I was eating a large DQ chocolate sundae and I didn’t need that. It tasted awesome after a hot sweaty day laboring in the yard!